Youth vaping is still a public health crisis
No one is blowing smoke when they say e-cigarettes marketed to children are not flash-in-the-pan flavors of the month. Here's proof of that: Nearly nine out of 10 middle and high school students who vaped this year used a flavored product, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And young people are exposed to e-cigarette marketing nearly everywhere, the CDC has found, including in retail settings, online, on TV and streaming services.Even among the adolescents who don't smoke e-cigarettes (or marijuana), their willingness to take a puff increases when a vape product has candy, dessert, fruit, and fruit-ice combination flavors, a recent California-based study found.The good news, however, is that youth vaping levels tumbled to the lowest in a decade this year, the federal National Youth Tobacco Survey revealed in September. Also encouraging is the commitment of some of our leaders to try and get the numbers even further down — 1.63 million middle and high school students currently use e-cigarettes, even with the decline — in spite of President-elect Donald Trump's vow to “save” vaping. Editorials bug Editorials This editorial board has for years championed efforts to curb youth vaping, while still keeping e-cigarettes available for adults, especially those who want to quit traditional tobacco cigarettes. Targeting flavored products and illegal products is essential. Going after ChinaHere in Chicago on Monday, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., joined Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and doctors at Lurie Children’s Hospital to tout initiatives combating youth vaping, including a new U.S. investigation into illicit vape manufacturers based in China.Around 95% of vaping products used globally are manufactured in China, according to Krishnamoorthi, a ranking member of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Hundreds of illegal products, packaged and marketed in ways that appeal to young people, are sold nationwide despite the Food and Drug Administration only authorizing 34 tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products. Related Pass bill to protect kids from the dangers of illegal e-cigarettes For kids’ sakes, Illinois should ban flavored e-cigarettes On the same day of the news conference at Lurie's, a majority of Supreme Court justices hearing arguments in a key case involving the FDA's authority to regulate e-cigarettes, didn't seem to buy the argument that the agency unfairly shifted its standards before rejecting applications from companies that sell sweet-flavored vaping products. The FDA has rejected — rightly, in our view — some 1 million applications for sweet-flavored vaping products."I’m not really seeing what the surprise is here or what the change is here," Justice Elena Kagan said while listening to oral arguments on the FDA's appeal of a lower court ruling that sided against the agency. "Everybody basically knows that flavors are particularly dangerous in terms of kids starting the use of smoking products."The case centers on challenges to FDA authority brought by Triton Distribution and Vapestasia, which manufacture flavored liquid for e-cigarettes."Jimmy the Juice Man Peachy Strawberry" and "Suicide Bunny Mother’s Milk and Cookies" were some of the flavors listed on Triton Distribution's application in 2020. Vapetasia's offering included "Iced Pineapple Express" and "Killer Kustard Blueberry."Sure, there may be some adults who are drawn to those flavors, but let's be blunt: Their cool, catchy names are catnip for kids.We hope the Supreme Court eventually rules in favor of the FDA, and that more elected officials continue the battle against the bad taste of vaping products marketed to children.Send letters to letters@suntimes.comThe Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines.Get Opinions content delivered to your inbox. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.More about the Sun-Times Editorial Board at chicago.suntimes.com/about/editorial-board
No one is blowing smoke when they say e-cigarettes marketed to children are not flash-in-the-pan flavors of the month.
Here's proof of that: Nearly nine out of 10 middle and high school students who vaped this year used a flavored product, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And young people are exposed to e-cigarette marketing nearly everywhere, the CDC has found, including in retail settings, online, on TV and streaming services.
Even among the adolescents who don't smoke e-cigarettes (or marijuana), their willingness to take a puff increases when a vape product has candy, dessert, fruit, and fruit-ice combination flavors, a recent California-based study found.
The good news, however, is that youth vaping levels tumbled to the lowest in a decade this year, the federal National Youth Tobacco Survey revealed in September.
Also encouraging is the commitment of some of our leaders to try and get the numbers even further down — 1.63 million middle and high school students currently use e-cigarettes, even with the decline — in spite of President-elect Donald Trump's vow to “save” vaping.
This editorial board has for years championed efforts to curb youth vaping, while still keeping e-cigarettes available for adults, especially those who want to quit traditional tobacco cigarettes. Targeting flavored products and illegal products is essential.
Going after China
Here in Chicago on Monday, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., joined Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and doctors at Lurie Children’s Hospital to tout initiatives combating youth vaping, including a new U.S. investigation into illicit vape manufacturers based in China.
Around 95% of vaping products used globally are manufactured in China, according to Krishnamoorthi, a ranking member of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Hundreds of illegal products, packaged and marketed in ways that appeal to young people, are sold nationwide despite the Food and Drug Administration only authorizing 34 tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products.
On the same day of the news conference at Lurie's, a majority of Supreme Court justices hearing arguments in a key case involving the FDA's authority to regulate e-cigarettes, didn't seem to buy the argument that the agency unfairly shifted its standards before rejecting applications from companies that sell sweet-flavored vaping products. The FDA has rejected — rightly, in our view — some 1 million applications for sweet-flavored vaping products.
"I’m not really seeing what the surprise is here or what the change is here," Justice Elena Kagan said while listening to oral arguments on the FDA's appeal of a lower court ruling that sided against the agency. "Everybody basically knows that flavors are particularly dangerous in terms of kids starting the use of smoking products."
The case centers on challenges to FDA authority brought by Triton Distribution and Vapestasia, which manufacture flavored liquid for e-cigarettes.
"Jimmy the Juice Man Peachy Strawberry" and "Suicide Bunny Mother’s Milk and Cookies" were some of the flavors listed on Triton Distribution's application in 2020. Vapetasia's offering included "Iced Pineapple Express" and "Killer Kustard Blueberry."
Sure, there may be some adults who are drawn to those flavors, but let's be blunt: Their cool, catchy names are catnip for kids.
We hope the Supreme Court eventually rules in favor of the FDA, and that more elected officials continue the battle against the bad taste of vaping products marketed to children.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com
The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines.
Get Opinions content delivered to your inbox. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
More about the Sun-Times Editorial Board at chicago.suntimes.com/about/editorial-board
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